Century Mark
In the Pride’s last matchup against the Portland Thorns, Meggie Dougherty Howard made her 100th regular season appearance, 31 of which have come while rocking the Pride kit. The milestone came just days after the midfielder was named to the NWSL’s Best XI of the month of August, in which she tallied two goals, including a game winner against the San Diego Wave. Dougherty Howard first entered the NWSL in 2017 when she was drafted by the Washington Spirit and joined the Pride at the end of 2020 via trade.
All For One
Defender Courtney Petersen also earned a career milestone against the Thorns as she made her 50th appearance across all competition in the NWSL, all of which have come with Orlando. Petersen was initially selected No. 7 overall in the 2020 NWSL College Draft by the Pride and scored her first NWSL goal on June 20, 2021, which served as a 90th-minute equalizer against NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Not in My (Moor)House
Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse made her first regular season start in between the sticks for Orlando in their match against Portland. Moorhouse made six saves on the night including an incredible diving save after a Thorns player sent a rocket of a shot at the net. The Oldham, England native, went full extension and was able to tip the ball over the bar and deny Portland the goal.
A Historic Previous Meeting
The last match the two sides played in served as the first NWSL match to be played at an American racetrack. As part of the DAYTONA SoccerFest, the matchup was played at historic Daytona International Speedway. It was part of a two-day event which also saw a match between Colombian Champion Deportivo Cali and crosstown rival America de Cali, a Legends Game as well as a concerts from Latin Grammy Award-winner Rauw Alejandro, latin artist Adassa, and Chance the Rapper. The match ended the spectacle with both clubs playing to a 2-2 draw.
Milestone Tracker
- Erika Tymrak is one goal away from 20 in her NWSL career
- Gunny Jónsdóttir is four appearances away from 100 across all NWSL competitions
- Darian Jenkins is one goal away from 10 across all NWSL competitions
